VIEW & SUBMIT

February 1 South Burlington Wolves Weekly Recap

The South Burlington Alpine Ski Team had a race at Smuggler’s Notch on January 17. The girls team took third place and the boys team took first. Highlights for the girls included a second place finish by senior Emily Shafritz and an eighth place finish by freshman Emma Shedleur. Highlights for the boys included a first place finish by sophomore Cam Chiari, a third place finish by freshman George Huffman, a fifth place finish by freshman Sean Boyer, and an eighth place finish by senior Alex Deetjen.

There was a slalom race at Stowe against 11 other schools on January 25. The girls finished tenth and the boys finished second. The second place finish was a big result for a young, rebuilding program against some of the top schools in the state. Cam Chiari finished in fifth place. “The team is beginning to get some experience under their belt and recent results have been a product of collective mental resiliency and positive mindset,” said Coach Weis. “Inexperienced racers are developing skills and becoming comfortable in different courses while more experienced racers are starting to round into form. We are looking forward to continued progression heading into the next string of slalom races.”Nordic Skiing Team

Nordic skiing is in the midst of the the Tour de Chittenden, a three race set with cumulative timing over the five days.The race began with a 2k skate “sprint” held following the rains at Colchester High School, followed by a 3-7 kilometer (based on race category) classic (think of traditional nordic skiing) at the Ethan Allen Firing Range and completed by a rare uphill race up Cochrans ski area.

There were lots of strong efforts from the SB and FHTMS squads, nearly 25 strong.

Top ten efforts were earned by Camille Bolduc, Hanna Holm and Eli Grossman in varsity girls, middle school girls and varsity boys respectively.

Bowling

On January 27, Essex, Burlington, Enosburg and South Burlington competed at Champlain Lanes. The Wolves lost to Essex in the final round as South Burlington struggled to make spares. The final score was 2-1 (153-157, 179-123, 151-162). South Burlington earned 10 points for the second place finish, bringing their season total to 58. Jack Zagursky earned a 217 and Aaron Murakami bowled a 234 as South Burlington’s top bowlers in the event. Next up is a competition in Barre on February 3.

Girls Hockey

The Wolves girls hockey team earned three wins last week after lighting up the score board in each of the three contests. Kate Hall led the way with 12 goals and four assists for the week. Claire Wright scored four times (four assists), Emma Havers added two (two assists), and Lilly Truchon contributed with five goals and six assists. Kayleigh Douglas added a goal and four assists while Lyssa Tan added to shut out performances and gave up only one goal in three games. Lola Dubrul (one assist) netted her first high school goal, and Hanako Memon played in net for the first period of the Harwood game. Elise Norotsky (one assist), Molly Gaboriault (one assist, one goal), Myah Dougherty (two goals and two assists), Audrey Smith (one goal and two assists), and Olivia McLean (one assist) all helped South Burlington secure the wins. Final scores for the week included a 10-2 win on January 22 at Harwood, an 8-0 January 24 win at Brattleboro, and 9-0 win over U-32 in Montpelier on January 27. The three victories brought their record to 8-0-1 on the season.

“We are proud of how well the girls are playing,” Coach Tinti said. “They have worked hard during practice to improve key components of their game and it is starting to consistently show through in their performance. Many of the younger players are consistently contributing and our junior and senior leadership has been amazing,” she added. The team plays Hartford at home on February 3.

Girls Basketball

The South Burlington girls basketball team also had a busy week of action with three games. On Monday, January 22, the Wolves lost to CVU in Hinesburg 45-24. Willow Yager was the leading scorer with eight points. “We played pretty well, we just couldn’t make anything that night,” Coach Sawyer said. “I thought our effort was there and we played defense. To beat a team like CVU you have to make shots,” he added.

Three days later, the Wolves defeated Burlington at home 59-46. Grace Hoehl led the way with a career high 24 points and five rebounds. Emma MacDonough added 13 points and 10 rebounds, which is her sixth double double of the season. Coach Sawyer was excited his team found its rhythm. “Offensively this is how good we can be when we are patient and take good shots. Really happy with how we played and the effort by the whole team,” he said.

On Saturday, January 28, a long trip to Bennington ended with a 51-49 overtime victory over Mt. Anthony. Emma MacDonough had 25 points in the game, including three three-pointers. Grace Hoehl added nine points. The team was losing most of the game and down six with 25 seconds left. MacDonough hit a three, on the inbound, the Wolves caused a turnover, Abby Collins made a great pass to Grace and she hit a three with 10 seconds left. South Burlington found a way to get the win. “I am so proud of this team for never giving up and big time teams make big time plays in big time moments. Our motto this year is “rise to the occasion” and we certainly did that,” Coach Sawyer said. They face St. Johnsbury on February 1.

Boys Basketball

The South Burlington boys basketball team proved they belong in the conversation for who might be left standing when the state championship goes down in March. Last week, they played two games against both cross-town rivals in Rice and Burlington in back-to-back games. Down starters and key contributors for both games, the Wolves faced the adversity and made it out of the week with a 1-1 record. On January 23, they played Rice at home and lost 69-61, but it was a high-level, high-intensity game that could have gone either way. Evan Parker scored 15, Ben Moran added 14, and Ethan Klesch contributed with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Cameron Yee also helped the Wolves stay in the game from start to finish with strong rebounding. “This was one of the toughest performances I have ever been a part of,” Coach Bayer-Pacht said. “These boys played with so much heart and tenacity, and responded every time the Green Knights made a run. Rice is so athletic, and for us to go out there and out rebound them, especially 15-7 on the offensive glass, shows on paper the sort of relentlessness the boys played with. We have high expectation when it comes to work ethic, energy, and doing the scrappy things that all players, no matter their talent level, are capable of,” he added.

Three days later, South Burlington traveled down the road to Burlington High School. Evan Parker’s 20 points, Ethan Kesch’s 18, and Hakeem Faud’s 15, along with a huge game from sophomore Owen MacDonough propelled the Wolves to a 72-66 win. After taking a 36-27 lead into the break, Burlington’s aggressive defense forced the Wolves into a six point third and facing a five point deficit after three quarters. South Burlington bounced back with a thirty point fourth quarter and disciplined performances in the game’s final minutes. “Parker, Klesch and Hakeem were huge for us offensively all game, and Owen did all the dirty work for us with great rim protection in our different defenses, and real toughness on the boards,” Coach said. “He also hit the game tying 3 in the 4th and the game sealing layup. He was awesome, and showed real maturity, toughness and basketball IQ to help ensure the SB victory,” he added. The Wolves host Essex on February 1.